Second Chance
by trapped-in-the-night
Summary: The fierce claws of leafbare grips the four clans of the forest as Hollyfire recieves a strange prophecy concerning a fox and a wolf. How could these two fearsome enemies help-or hurt-the four clans? Plot and chars are original; rated T for some violence.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Warriors_ or any related content. Those belong to Erin Hunter. I only own the characters and plot. Some information was taken from Google.**

The wind outside howled like a wolf as a snow white she-cat stared past the long strands of lichen that were doing nothing to block the cold from pouring through her den's entrance. She just sat there quietly, listening to her clan's worried and frightened murmurs that were coming from inside their own dens. The she-cat shivered as she glared at the blizzard furiously._ ThunderClan is strong in numbers, that much is true, but we are not strong in health as of now. It's because of this cursed storm that green cough has started to sneak its way into our camp like a weasel. It's been going on for what I suspect is three dawns, and it doesn't look like it'll let up anytime soon. _The she-cat growled as she got up from her place at the den entrance and started pacing back and forth. _StarClan, please help us out of this dark time. We desperately need to hunt; we've practically no food left for the elders and nursing queens. Cats will begin to die if they don't get any nutrition to ward off this dreadful disease._

"Snowstar!" a male voice called loudly. The white cat's sea-green eyes shot towards the hanging lichen once more, her ear pricked and tail twitching.

"Snowstar, it's Hollyfire! Come to my den, quickly! I'd like to talk with you." the tom called even louder, urgency made certain in his voice.

"I'm coming, Hollyfire, hold on." Snowstar replied, poking her head through the plants. She had to squint her eyes to keep the blistering snow from stinging them as she searched for the elder's den. Once she located the large tree log, she padded towards it. Keeping her pace, she went around and into her clan's medicine den. She shook herself to keep the snow from wetting her long pelt.

"I think it's colder than yesterday, wouldn't you agree?" Hollyfire pointed out as he picked through his dwindling supply of herbs. He then turned and walked toward one of the multiple nests in his den that held Lionflight, one of the clan's warriors. The golden tabby tom shivered and coughed in response as Hollyfire prodded the warrior with his nose. The old medicine cat then set the dried leaves next to Lionflight. The warrior glanced at the herbs and wordlessly consumed them as the tortoiseshell tom watched.

"How are you feeling?" the tom asked kindly.

"Like mouse dung." Lionflight rasped after swallowing the last leaf. Snowstar purred with amusement. "I'm not feeling better, but I'm not feeling worse, either, so I guess that's good news." he reported before curling back up.

Hollyfire turned to face the clan leader. "He caught green cough a few hours after this blizzard started. Fortunately, his case isn't as severe as it can be." Hollyfire said in a reassuring voice, seeing the worried expression on her face.

"Is your supply of… what is it?"

"Catmint?"

"Yes, that… is your supply plentiful incase we get anymore cases?" Snowstar interrogated. Hollyfire's silence was her answer. She sighed.

"I'm beginning to fear the worse, old friend. This is probably the worst leafbare we've had to date." Snowstar took a seat next to Hollyfire as she bowed her head, a defeated look stitched into her features.

The older cat settled next to her and nuzzled her shoulder playfully. "Snowstar, I've known you since you were just a kit. In fact, I was at your kitting… as Bramblefoot's apprentice." the tom purred. "I watched you grow into a fine warrior, and then you were chosen to be deputy. Before I knew it, I was the clan's medicine cat with my own apprentice, and you became our new leader."

Snowstar smiled as she raised her head and looked at the tortoiseshell tom. "Where are you going with this?" she asked.

"If there's one thing I've learned from watching you grow it's that you'll always find the answer to every question brought to your attention. I know you'll find the answer to this question of your clan's survival as well." the old tom smiled as he tried to cheer up his long-time friend.

"Thank you, Hollyfire. You wisdom has comforted me." Snowstar licked the medicine cat's shoulder respectfully. "I have another question, however… Have you received any messages from our ancestors lately?"

Hollyfire's feature then changed, making him look like a younger cat. "Oh, yes! That's what I wanted to share with you!" he said, purring at his own forgetfulness.

"What did our ancestors show you?" Snowstar questioned, her eyes bright with hope.

"They showed me a vision. It was raining, and then, a red fox with green eyes broke through the downpour, almost as if it were parting it like a curtain. The shower stopped, and the fox looked at a black wolf with fangs and hazel eyes. They lunged at each other, and then the wolf disappeared when the fox came in contact with it."

Snowstar stared at the tom, shock slowly incasing the clan leader. Finally, she spoke. "But foxes and wolves are enemies to the four clans… how will either of them help us?"

"I do not know, Snowstar. I think we will find out soon, though."

Snowstar sighed before rising from her seat next to the medicine cat. "Very well then. I'm going to get Badgerfang to gather a border patrol. I wouldn't be surprised if those flea-bitten ShadowClan cats have trespassed onto ThunderClan territory during this time of weakness." With that, the she-cat padded over to the den entrance. "I know it's not wise to send a cat out into this weather, but-"

"I would do the same, Snowstar, and trust me, newleaf will come soon." Hollyfire smiled.

Snowstar returned the smile, and then she dashed toward the warrior's den to get Badgerfang.

Hollyfire bowed his head and closed his eyes. _I mean no disrespect by questioning our warrior ancestors, but I hope you guys know what you're doing up there. _he prayed before walking to his nest near the back of his den. He made his nest comfortable before lying down and trying to get some sleep. _For the sake of the four clans of this forest, I hope we find this fox soon._


	2. Discovery

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own **_**Warriors**_** or any related content. Those belong to Erin Hunter. I only own the characters and the story.**

**Also, there **_**is**_** such a thing as a cat that looks like a fox (not exactly like one, though). Its breed is the Somali, and its nickname is 'foxcat'. Look it up and you'll see why. ;P**

"Hurry up, you lot! We need to get this over with so we can head back to camp!" Badgerfang yowled as he turned his head to face the three other cats in single file behind him. He then continued to plow through the thick, wet blanket, keeping his head bowed against the wind.

"I mean no disrespect to ThunderClan's deputy, but this is insane! We need to head back or we'll freeze to death!" Silverfoot, a young silver tabby she-cat yowled back.

This time, Badgerfang made no attempt to face her, even though she was right behind him. "I know, but this was an order from Snowstar. We must complete this patrol." Silverfoot huffed irritably, but it went unheard through the raging blizzard.

"Badgerclaw, Silverfoot's right. It's hard enough to pick up scents along this thunderpath _without _the snow. I think we should just head back, and say we didn't find anything." Cougarfur suggested, her light brown pelt clinging to her underfed frame due to the wet snow.

Badgerfang sighed. He turned to face the others. "Guys, I know you're cold and wet, but what if there's a ShadowClan cat lurking in our territory, picking off what little prey we might have? What if they're heading to the camp? If we turn back now, and those possibilities turn out to be real, then we would've failed the clan. Now, let's finish this patrol _without _complaining like a young kit." The group began to trek through the storm yet again, but everyone stayed quiet.

After some time, Lizardscale, the pale ginger tom who was in the very back, stopped dead in his tracks. Badgerfang sensed some was amiss, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think I heard something… and it sounded like a like a kit." He had a confused look on his face.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I think I heard it, too." Cougarfur mewed loudly.

Without a word, Silverfoot started to sprint ahead of the rest of the cats. "Silverfoot!" Badgerfang yowled. Soon enough, the rest started to follow her.

Once they caught up, she was huddled around a dull orange bundle of fur. She was wildly licking at the scrap with a fearful look on her face. "It _was_ a kit! She's soaked, too." she meowed, urgency heard like an alarm from her report. "We need to take her back to camp; she'll freeze!"

Badgerfang nudged his way past Cougarfur and Lizardscale. He bent down closer to the kit and sniffed her. His nose wrinkled with disgust. "She smells like the muck along the thunderpath. She was probably abandoned by her twolegs instead of a ShadowClan cat."

"But she doesn't smell of kittypet. She only smells of the revolting monsters." Silverfoot confirmed, saying the last word with much disgust.

"Silverfoot, can you carry her back to camp?" Badgerfang's words came out in a hurry.

"Of course." Silverfoot then grasped the kit by her scruff. The kit mewled weakly in response.

"Right. Listen up, guys," Badgerfang stood as tall as he could in order to inform the whole group. "We have a kit's life in our paws. It's part of the warrior code, so we have no choice but ensure that this kit makes it unharmed back to ThunderClan. Does everyone understand?" Everyone nodded eagerly in response, except for Silverfoot, who smiled through the kit's dirty fur. "All right, let's go!" And with that, the patrol took off through deep snow, desperately trying to save the small kit's life.

* * *

The storm was slowly letting up as Snowstar made her way into the camp clearing. It was still snowing heavily, but it wasn't nearly as windy as it had been. A few warriors came out as well, stretching their legs and checking with everything and everyone. Among them was a queen named Tawnystripe, who padded over to Snowstar. She took her seat next to the white she-cat as she bowed her head respectfully.

"How are your kits doing?" the ThunderClan leader asked, sitting with her.

"Very well. You know, Wolfkit looks like a miniature me; a sleek black coat and everything." she purred. "I was surprised, actually; if anything, I thought there would be mini-Lizardscales!"

Snowstar stiffened. Hollyfire's ominous prophecy crept into her mind. "Well, congratulations, Tawnystripe. I'm sure they will grow to be fine warriors indeed." Snowstar meowed, smiling faintly.

"Thank you, Snowstar. It's an honor for you to say that." Tawnystripe purred. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to tend to my kits. They're calling for me." The jet black she-cat then padded to the bramble bushes and squeezed through them. Snowstar continued to stare blankly at the falling snow, lost in her own worried thoughts.

"Snowstar? Snowstar, is something wrong?" Willowtail mewed while prodding Snowstar with her front paw.

"What? Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about the weather. Hopefully, that cursed storm is over." Snowstar replied, keeping the anxiety out of her voice.

"Okay. I was just making sure; you zoned out there for a second." Willowtail purred, her pale blue eyes filled with humor. The snow flakes sticking to her made her look like she had white flecks on her long, grey pelt. She turned to her littermate, Spottedfawn. "Why don't we go visit our mother? I want to make sure Robingaze is well. She's too old for this kind of weather, and so is Bramblefoot."

"Hey, mother's not _that_ old!" Spottedfawn protested. She always defended her clanmates, family or not.

Willowtail just stared at her sibling.

"Okay, fine, she's old." Spottedfawn huffed as the two sisters padded over toward what was left of the freshkill pile. "Snowstar, can we take this mouse to the elders? It's the biggest piece left, besides this vole." the calico she-cat asked while Willowtail held up the mouse by its tail to show Snowstar.

"Yes, that's fine." Snowstar approved. After a few minutes, the clan leader decided to take the vole to the nursery. She poked her head into the warm den and dropped the freshkill at the entrance. "You two need to try to share this freshkill, but let Lillyfur have most of it since her kits are the youngest." The two queens nodded. Darktail, Lillyfur's mate, was unexpectedly curled up around her. "Darkstripe, can you meet me outside, please?" Snowstar said softly, acknowledging the sleeping forms of the two kits curled at the new mother's stomach. The clan leader walked over to empty freshkill pile.

The smoky grey tom scrambled out of the nursery. "Yes, Snowstar?" he asked politely.

"Can you go hunting for the clan? We've no more freshkill for the elders and queens."

At the mention of 'queens', Darktail's amber eyes blazed with determination. "I will." And with that, he took off toward the camp entrance.

_I'm glad he has responsibilities now, _Snowstar thought. _Or else he'd still be as lazy as a hibernating bear! _The she-cat gazed up at the sky. It was snowing lighter and lighter now. She smiled. _Thank you, StarClan. _she prayed.

Suddenly, Silverfoot, followed by three others, barreled through the ferns guarding the camp. "Snowstar, we found a kit!" Lizardscale meowed quickly. His blue eyes were wide with excitement, and his chest heaved from the effort of the race the patrol just endured to get back to the camp. His looks were echoed through the other three, too.

As Snowstar examined the kit, she padded forward. The kit's fur looked like a dirty, dull orange, and it was clumped from the moist snow. "Where did you find it?" the ThunderClan leader asked quietly.

Badgerfang approached her from the back of the group. "Lizardscale was the one who heard her mews first, and then Silverfoot found her beside the thunderpath. We suspect that she was abandoned by her twolegs because we caught no scent of ShadowClan from her."

"But we didn't catch any scent of a kittypet, either. The snow on the thunderpath is like slush, so I think the monsters that ran through it managed to soak her with their filth." Cougarfur was always good at figuring things out. Snowstar was grateful for this.

"You don't say?" Snowstar said thoughtfully. "Silverfoot, take her to Hollyfire, please. If he's busy, ask Cloudflower. I'm sure she has enough experience to check up on a kit." the she-cat ordered, her voice gentle but firm. Silverfoot nodded and obeyed. The kit managed to draw the attention of most of the clan cats as Silverfoot walked past them.

"Are you two feeling well enough to go on a hunting patrol? I know you guys just got back from fighting a blizzard, but we've no food, and we won't get much with only Darktail hunting." Snowstar asked as she turned to the other three cats. "Lizardscale, you may stay with Tawnystripe. I'm sure she worried about you." The young tom nodded and quickly padded over to the nursery and squeezed through.

"I think we'll manage; it was tiring, but if there's no food…" Cougarfur shrugged. Badgerfang nodded his agreement. Then they took off to join Darktail's current patrol of one.

Snowstar then padded toward Hollyfire's den. Just when she was about to enter the medicine den, Lionflight walked right into her.

"Oh! Sorry Snowstar! I didn't see you there." Lionflight apologized, his meow clear.

"It's okay, Lionflight. I see you're feeling better."

"I feel like a newborn kit." the golden warrior purred. "Just in time, too; it seems the blizzard's gone. How is the clan?"

"Everyone is fine. We're out of food, though. Ah, no, you're resting in the warrior's den for now; I don't care how well you feel! I don't want to risk it." Snowstar purred right before Lionflight offered to hunt. "I know you're as worried as everyone else, but you just recovered from greencough. You need rest."

"Okay, okay. I know. Oh, and that kit in there… she's not from any of the clans, is she?" the tom asked in monotone, raising an eyebrow.

Snowstar shook her head. "Why do you ask?" she mewed softly.

"She looks… unique. Her pelt looks like it came off of a fox." he whispered, his green eyes wide. "Well, I guess I'll talk to you later, Snowstar." Lionflight bowed his head respectfully before quickly padding over to the warrior's den.

_Her pelt looks like it came off of a fox._

Snowstar's expression was a vague one as she walked into Hollyfire's den. She passed by a sleeping Cloudflower in one of the nests. "How is the kit?" she whispered when she found the old tom in the back, licking the filth off of the kit's fur. Her true colors confirmed Lionflight's statement; she was an orange with dark paws and a dark tipped tail. Her face had lighter orange colors that ran down her neck and continued on her belly.

"She's fine." Hollyfire's expression was an exact copy of her own.

"You know… I thought that the… discovery of the fox and the wolf would be… slower."

"Wolfkit?"

Snowstar nodded.

Hollyfire sighed. "StarClan works in mysterious ways, old friend. Some ways come sooner than expected." he said. Dropping the subject, he added, "Who's going to nurture her? She's only two moons old."

"She's the same age as Tawnystripe's kits, but she hardly has any milk. Speaking of which, you need to give her some… ah…"

"Borage seeds. You don't need to learn the herbs like a medicine cat, Snowstar. That's why you're clan leader." the tom purred, amused.

"I know, it just makes me feel better, though."

"Anyway, I think we should assign the kit to Lillyfur; she is actually producing enough milk for four kits."

"Lillyfur it is, then." Snowstar meowed. She bent and picked the kit up by her scruff, and padded toward the nursery.

_And so it begins. _Hollyfire thought as he searched for borage seeds. _StarClan, help us._


	3. New Home

**Disclaimer:**** I do not own **_**Warriors**_** or any related content. Those belong to Erin Hunter. I only own the characters and plot. **

**On an unrelated note… I got my first review yesterday! *fist pump* Thanks, Mosstail21!**

_Cat whimpered and pressed her muzzle deeper into her mother's matted fur that was along her stomach. She didn't have the slightest idea on where she was. All she knew was that something bad was about to happen… something very, very bad._

"_It's okay, my dear. Everything will be okay…" Sassy wheezed softly. Her eyes were glazed over and she smelled of disease._

"_What's happening, mama? What is Man doing to us?" Cat yowled, fear gripping and clawing at her mind. It was very dark inside the monster, but the young kitten could still make out Man's outline from the front. _

_Man yelled and hit the wire cage very hard with his front paw, almost knocking the entire thing to the lower floor. Cat whimpered again and tried to hide her tear-stained face. Her mother's fur was originally a light crème color, but now it was splotched with mud and feces. Despite the fact that bugs were crawling all over her face, Cat nuzzled in deeper._

"_My daughter, listen to me." Sassy whispered, closing her green eyes. Cat peeked at her mother through her dingy pelt. "My time in this world is coming to a close. I want you to promise me that you'll try your best to escape this hell. Please promise me that much before I go."_

_Cat's eyes were wide with fear, but she managed to nod shakily._

_A very small smile cracked the old she-cat's lips. She was very skinny; her hips and ribs sticking out from her pelt, despite the fact that she had long fur. Man had made her breed many times to sell her children; she always loved the kits she bared, and her heart broke a little more with every one that was taken away. Now, it was broken beyond repair. Eternal rest called to her like a songbird, so sweet and tempting. She knew she had to go._

"_Thank you, my daughter. You made certain that I can leave this world happy. Always know that I love you, and please keep your promise…" A single tear crept from her closed eyes as her breathing started to slow._

"_Mama, no! Please! Don't leave me yet! I still need you! What am I to do?" Cat cried, licking her mother's face._

_But it was too late. The old she-cat stilled. A tear was still traveling down her face, and a smile still creased her lips._

"_MAMA!" _

_The monster skidded to a stop, making the cage roll with the motion. Man yelled as he got out, walked around and opened the door beside them. Instantly, freezing wind blew into the monster, and many snowflakes managed to swirl past Man and onto the two cats' pelts, making Cat shiver. He jerked the cage's entrance to face him, yanked the latch open, and pulled Sassy out roughly by her scruff. He shook her violently, yelled again, and threw her somewhere along the bank. The she-cat's body had disappeared into the raging snow before Cat heard it land._

"_Mama, no!" Cat screeched. Rage then took over, and she leapt blindly from her cage and onto Man's front paw. She kicked, clawed, raked, bit, and gnawed as much as she could before Man screamed and threw her as well. Cat quickly took off and hid in the deep snow behind the bank. As Man was taken away in his monster, a waterfall of slush washed over Cat, making her gasp. She waited until she couldn't hear Man anymore before she crawled out of her hiding place. _

"_I kept my promise, mama, but now what do I do?" Cat was already shivering violently as she huddled into a ball, trying to fight the blizzard. She began to sob quietly._

"Foxkit, wake _up_." the kit felt a strong nudge against her flank. Foxkit gasped and her eyes shot open. It was strangely warm, and Cat was confused as she looked around. Her eyes then met apair of striking blue ones.

The young she-kit jumped up to face the stranger, fur bristling. Then, something struck her.

_Foxkit?_

"Shhh, it's okay." the queen whispered. "You were whimpering and crying in your sleep. Were you having a bad dream?"

Cat nodded slowly.

"Come here." The she-cat smiled as she spread her front paws wider to create enough space for the frightened kit to lie underneath her head.

"Why did you call me Foxkit?" Cat asked.

"It is your new name; your clan name." The white and grey spotted queen replied in a whisper. Seeing Cat's confused look, she explained, "You will learn soon enough. Now, come."

Foxkit then crawled her way back into the queen's embrace, pleased that she laid her head along the kit's back to warm her.

"My name is Lillyfur. I'm going to be your new mother." Foxkit stiffened as the queen spoke. "I know this is a lot for you to take in at one time, but please know that you are safe. You were saved by some of our warriors; your new clanmates. Your whole life now lies ahead of you." Lillyfur licked the kit's back.

Foxkit slowly felt her eyes started to close. She was still confused about everything, but she was very happy.

_I made it, mama. I'm safe. _That was her last thought before drifting off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It wasn't long before she felt another nose sniffing in her ear. She twitched it, then looked up to see a fuzzy tabby kit with blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm Thornkit. Who are you?" he asked kindly.

"I'm Ca- …Foxkit."

"Of course. You _do _look like a fox!" he purred. "My brother and sister are over there with my mom, Tawnystripe. Their names are Wolfkit and Whiskerkit. And my dad, Lizardscale, is curled up behind her." he said. "They're all sleeping now, but I can't. I was wondering if you'd like to explore with me. Since, you know, you're new and stuff. I'm sure you're confused." He titled his head.

"Um… sure. Lillyfur?" Foxkit wiggled around to wake Lillyfur up.

"Hmm?" The queen lifted her head off of the kit to gaze at her drowsily.

"Can Thornkit show me around camp?" Thornkit walked toward the bramble entrance.

"Sure, sweetie. I don't mind. Thornkit, did you ask you mother?"

"She asleep, and so is Lizardscale." he whined.

"…okay, go ahead. Don't get into any trouble, though." Foxkit got up and padded over to where Thornkit was. Lillyfur just went back to sleep.

"Awesome! Okay, let's go." The two kits squeezed through the den entrance.

The snowstorm had passed entirely, revealing a blanketed ThunderClan camp. The sun was high, and it made the snow sparkle.

"Wow." Foxkit said, fazed by the beauty.

"I agree; it is pretty." Thornkit replied. He then walked toward the large rock with lichen covering the distance. "This is the first thing you need to learn. You see this big rock?" Foxkit nodded. "This is called Highrock. Our leader, Snowstar, calls clan meetings from the top of the rock. Her den is past that stringy plant." He then twitched his tail at Foxkit, signaling her to follow him. They then walked into the camp clearing. They sat down as Thornkit pointed to the nursery with his forepaw. "We cover the nursery with those spiky things to keep intruders from harming kits and queens during a raid."

"Other cats raid this place? Why?" Foxkit asked.

"They want more power; more territory. Either that, or they hate us or something." He shrugged.

"Who's 'they'?"

"The three other clans. You don't know about those, do you?" Foxkit shook her head.

"Well, there's ThunderClan, the clan you're in now, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan. Each clan has their own territory in this forest. It's against the warrior code for cats to go on others' territories. That's why we have border patrols."

"Jeez, you sure do know a lot for a kit." Foxkit said, overwhelmed by everything Thornkit was telling her.

"My dad says if I was to be a good warrior, I'll have to remember everything there is to know." he said proudly. He then leaned toward Foxkit to whisper, "That's why I sometimes eavesdrop on the warriors when they're sharing tongues." He grinned.

"Sharing tongues?"

"It's what the whole clan does when the sun's highest. But since it's leafbare, not very many stay outside if they can help it." Thornkit's eyes suddenly got an excited gleam in them. "C'mon, I gotta show you something." They quickly padded over to a tree stump with ferns behind it. "This is the apprentice's den. Apprentices are warriors in training." he said happily. "This is where I'm going to sleep in four moons. Speaking of which, how old are you?"

"Two moons."

"You'll be in there with me! How cool!" he purred.

Foxkit nodded. Struck with sudden curiosity, she poked her head into the den.

"Why's it empty?" she asked, bringing her head back out.

"Kits came _really_ late this year; I should've been born in early leaffall."

"If you were, then we never would've met." Foxkit pointed out.

"True." Thornkit smiled.

Just then, Darktail, Cougarfur, and Badgerfang walked through the camp entrance. Badgerfang had managed to get two hibernating squirrels, Cougarfur caught four voles, and Darktail caught a cardinal.

Foxkit's eyes grew wide at the sight of those strange animals. Thornkit practically started jumping up and down. "Freshkill! They caught more freshkill!"

"Is _that_ what you eat?" Foxkit gasped.

"Yep! Mother says I'm old enough to try it now. Trust me, it's a _lot_ better than the slop you were probably fed." Thornkit's nose crinkled with disgust.

Foxkit had faint memories of eating rotten tasting food that Man usually gave her and her mother. Thinking of her mother made Foxkit sad.

"Hey, cheer up, I didn't mean to make you sad." Thornkit nudged her.

"Oh, no, it's not that." Foxkit said hurriedly, trying to hide her sadness. "Anyway, can we try some freshkill now?"

"Not yet. Elders and queens must be fed first… but we can still eat what our mothers don't." he quietly added the last part. He ran to the nursery, followed by Foxkit.

They curled back up with their mothers before a black furred warrior came in with a cardinal and a squirrel. The sweet smells of food awakened the queens, and the kits. Lizardscale awoke, too.

Foxkit stayed back She watched as the tom nuzzled Lillyfur and laid the cardinal in front of her. He took the squirrel to Tawnystripe and another queen. The other she-cat had golden yellow tabby fur with white paws and tail. Her belly was swollen. "Here Goldenheart and Tawnystripe, you two can share this squirrel. It's surprisingly plump for this time of year." He smiled. "Lizardscale, Badgerfang want to speak with you. I think he wants you for border patrol." Lizardscale nodded and left the den.

"Thank you, Darktail." Tawnystripe replied. She quietly told her kits to eat too, and they did. Thornkit, catching Foxkit's eyes, looked at her, then looked at the cardinal near Lillyfur, and looked at her again. He was telling her to try it.

Fox kit then padded toward Lillyfur, who was now eating. Darktail turned and stared at her. "Who's this?" he asked.

"Her name is Foxkit. I'm her new mother, and you're her new father." she looked up at her mate with hard eyes. "Don't say 'you don't have enough milk'. Hollyfire said I had plenty."

Darktail got a defensive look on his face. "I wasn't!" he exclaimed.

Lillyfur's expression softened. "Good." she leaned up and licked Darktail's face, who purred. "Come, Foxkit." Foxkit then padded over and sat away from Darktail. "I want to try the freshkill. You're old enough now." She smiled.

Foxkit slowly bent down and sniffed the bird. She stole a glance at Darktail, who was staring right back at her. She quickly looked down and took a ginger bite. The flavors flooded her mouth and sang on her tongue. It was so much better than the stuff Man had given her.

After she swallowed, she glanced at Thornkit. He smiled his approval as he ate more.

_Maybe this won't be so bad after all._ she thought.


	4. Surpise, Surprise

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors**_**, or any related content. Those belong to Erin Hunter. I only own the characters and the plot.**

**I've decided to not reply to reviews on my chapters. I'll reply the normal way, as I have found out that you can actually do. xD Please excuse me, for I am but a humble n00b.**

**I know that things are going pretty quickly here, but I've made a timeline of events for this, and I'm only just beginning to go to event three.**

"I bet you can't beat me!" a small she-kit claimed, her white and tabby spotted fur bristling with excitement.

"Oh yeah?" Foxkit hissed playfully. She and the other kit where circling each other like two sworn enemies.

It had been four moons since Foxkit's arrival to ThunderClan. In the time period, she had made great friends with Thornkit's sister, Whiskerkit, and some of the other warriors talked to her every once in a while. Two cats that talked to her most frequently were Snowstar and Hollyfire.

"_Why do they talk to me so much?" Foxkit had asked Lillyfur out of mere curiosity before going to sleep. It's not that she didn't like them talking to her, it just seemed strange for the two highest ranked cats to try and make friends with an outsider._

"_It's because you're… special." Lillyfur replied sleepily. "They just want to make sure you're happy."_

_Foxkit watched the queen fall asleep. _She's hiding something from me. I know it._ She glanced at Whiskerkit, who had been awake as well. She shrugged._

_Foxkit huffed and just went to sleep._

Whiskerkit pounced at Foxkit, managing to pin her for a tenth of a second. Foxkit squirmed her way out of Whiskerkit's grip, and started to bound away.

"Oh, no you don't!" Whiskerkit soon chased after her, but Foxkit turned at the last second and pounced. They growled, hissed, and wrestled playfully for a few seconds before Foxkit finally pinned her.

"I win." she said happily.

"Fine." Whiskerkit growled. "I'll get you next time." she promised as Foxkit let her up. They both shook their pelts free from any dirt. The snow of leafbare had slowly begun to thaw, allowing the kits to release a lot of energy outside of the nursery without disturbing the queens.

Foxkit's eyes turned to the nursery as Thornkit and Wolfkit emerged. Whiskerkit and Foxkit padded over to meet them.

"You told me we weren't going to be _near_ that thing!" Wolfkit yowled at Thornkit, his black fur bristling as he glared at Foxkit.

"I said no such thing!" Thornkit hissed. "What's eating you, anyway? You've been like this ever since she was brought here!"

"It's because she's and _outsider_. She doesn't _belong here_. She _belongs_ with her _twoleg_. Besides, she looks like a fox."

"Excuse me, but you don't know _anything_ about my twoleg. He was far from a nice one; he practically starved my mother and me! You wouldn't last two seconds in the place I had came from! And just because I _look_ like one doesn't mean I_ am_ one!" Foxkit snapped, her teeth bared.

"How much do you want to bet?" Wolfkit snarled, crouching low.

Suddenly, a white paw shot down in front of Foxkit. She gasped, startled.

"That is enough!" Snowstar declared. "Wolfkit, why are you harassing her?"

Instead of answering her, Wolfkit just sat up normally. "Hmph." he said, lifting his head proudly and turning away from them.

Snowstar sighed. "Run along now, children. Wolfkit, you need to learn how to act. Foxkit is part of the clan now, whether you like it or not." With that, Snowstar padded toward Badgerfang, who was talking to his fellow warriors near their den as they shared a robin. Wolfkit just went back to the nursery.

Thornkit nudged his sister and friend. "C'mon, let's go see what they're talking about." he whispered as he lowered himself to the ground. The other two followed closely behind him.

They hid near the yew bush and crouched down as low as they could so they wouldn't get spotted. Thornkit had his ear pointed in the warriors' direction.

"Well? What are they saying?" Whiskerkit whispered.

"They're… sorting out a hunting patrol with Badgerfang, Darktail, Spottedfawn and Lionflight."

"Ugh, that's _it_?" Foxkit complained.

"No, wait. They're talking about us now. They're saying that we are nearing six moons, and…" His eyes lit up with excitement. "We're going to be apprenticed!" he hissed.

"No way!" Whiskerkit exclaimed. "When?"

"If they're talking about it now, I'd say soon." he was quivering with happiness, his whiskers twitching. "Ooh, I can't wait! I hope I get Lionflight as a mentor; I heard he was a great fighter!"

"I want Cougarfur! I wanna learn how to figure things out like she can." Whiskerkit purred. "Who do you want, Foxkit?"

The she-kit shrugged. "I don't know any of the warriors well enough to choose. I'll be happy with whoever I ge-!" Her eyes shot up to see Snowstar appeared in front of them, gazing down at the three young kits.

"Have you ever heard the old saying 'curiosity killed the cat'?" she asked, her tone flat.

"W-we're sorry, Snowstar! We won't do it again! Will we, guys?" Thornkit asked. Whiskerkit and Foxkit shook their heads quickly.

The leader purred. "It's okay, I was just teasing. I'm glad to that you've such curiosity. We wouldn't have noticed you if you were downwind. The next time you're sneaking up on someone, or even prey, you must stay downwind, or they will notice you." Snowstar said. The three kits nodded slowly, happy but confused.

Snowstar smiled and walked toward her den. She was followed by Badgerfang.

"I thought you said he was hunting?"

"I guess he… changed his mind?" Thornkit looked for the other three. They'd left the camp. "I was right about the others, though." he said softly.

"We should tell the queens about this. We could be made apprentices by sunfall!" Foxkit said excitedly as the group ran to the nursery.

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting."

Foxkit blinked the sleep from her eyes as she got up and stretched. Lillyfur batted her tail to get her attention.

"Come here, you've got bedhead." she nagged.

Foxkit obeyed and leaned down as Lillyfur licked her head to straighten her fur.

"How come I can't be an apprentice?" one of her kits, a little black male kit with a fluffy white chest and white paws asked.

"Thrushkit, you're not old enough. You must wait two more moons." Lillyfur purred and licked her own kit's head. Her other kit, Mudkit, who was a solid dark grey color, stirred as his brother got a bath. Foxkit saw her chance to escape and took it.

"I can't believe my children are becoming apprentices already." Tawnystripe gushed, giving all of her kits a quick wash as well. "Now, come, hurry up. We don't want to keep Snowstar waiting. Lillyfur, are you coming?"

"Of course." The queen got up from her spot and told her kits to stay put until she got back.

The group of five scrambled out of the nursery. Thornkit, Whiskerkit, and Foxkit ran towards the Highrock, leaving behind Wolfkit.

"You guys, wait for your brother!" Tawnystripe said, pushing the little black male forward with her nose.

"No, it's fine. I don't want to be near _that_." he sneered at Foxkit.

"You wouldn't be my first choice either, mouse-brain." Foxkit snarled and kept her pace.

As the rest of the clan cats chose their seats at the Highrock, Snowstar spoke. "ThunderClan is strong, and once again healthy. We managed to keep greencough at bay with only two sicknesses. I thank StarClan for protecting Lionflight and Bramblefoot." Everyone then turned their attention to the two cats near the left of the group. Lionflight smiled, but Bramblefoot just scowled at the ground.

"Bramblefoot was our medicine cat before Snowstar even became leader; his apprentice was Hollyfire." Thornkit whispered to Foxkit. "He also has some… temperament issues, to put it mildly."

The she-kit remembered the how old Hollyfire looked. A shocked look crossed her face. "So Bramblefoot's, like, _ancient_, huh?"

"Yup." Thornkit agreed, nodding.

"With the long awaited arrival of newleaf, I see it proper that our four kits finally get their apprentice names." Snowstar gazed at the four kits. "Whiskerkit, Foxkit, Thornkit and Wolfkit."

The group of four slowly padded closer to the Highrock. They were soon joined by Darktail, Badgerfang, Spottedfawn and Lionflight; the cats that were talking to Snowstar earlier.

Spottedfawn was first to come up to the top of Highrock. She sat down beside Snowstar.

"Whiskerkit, come." The clan leader nodded at the young she-kit.

As the nervous kit climbed her way up, she announced. "Spottedfawn, you were guided by your old mentor, Badgerfang. I hope you pass your knowledge to young Whiskerkit." she said to the calico she-cat more privately.

"Yes, Snowstar." the young warrior whispered, bowing her head. Her green eyes shown with almost as much excitement as Whiskerkit's. Badgerfang watched his old apprentice proudly.

"From this day on, until this young cat becomes a warrior, she will be known as Whiskerpaw." Snowstar mewed loudly to the rest of the clan. Warrior and apprentice then touched noses as ThunderClan chanted the young cat's new name.

"Whiskerpaw! Whiskerpaw!"

They both jumped down from Highrock, leaving Foxkit next in line. Foxkit smiled at her friend with encouragement as Snowstar beckoned her with a flick of her tail. She jumped nimbly to the top, meeting up with…

…Darktail.

_Oh, wonderful. _

Darktail was almost as bad as Wolfkit. He didn't sneer or snap at her, but he did keep his distance if he could help it.

"Darktail, it is time you take an apprentice under your paw. You were taught by me, so I hope the knowledge you bestow upon this young apprentice will benefit her in the long run."

"Yes, Snowstar." he bowed his head, his expression blank.

"From this day, this young kit will be known as Foxpaw." Darktail came forward and touched noses with his new apprentice. Foxpaw kept her face as expressionless as his as they hopped down from Highrock.

The rest of the ceremony passed excruciatingly slow as she sat next to Darktail and watched. Thornkit was renamed Thornpaw as his mentor became Lionflight. _At least he got the mentor he wanted._ Foxpaw thought. Wolfkit's mentor became Badgerfang as he was renamed Wolfpaw.

The four apprentices showed themselves to their new den. They went in and chose their spots. Whiskerpaw, Thornpaw and Foxpaw decided to sleep in a group. Wolfpaw chose a far corner.

"You'd think he'd be over himself by now." Whiskerpaw said softly.

Thornpaw snorted. "Are you kidding? Where have you been these past six moons? He'll always be ignorant. He was _born_ that way."

"I _can_ hear you." Wolfpaw announced from his secluded area.

"I know." Thornpaw replied simply.


	5. First Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Warriors**_** or any related content. Those belong to Erin Hunter. I only own the characters and the plot.**

**Lion King reference in the fight scene, so credit goes to Disney.**

The sun's light barely shone through the forest canopy, announcing that it was early dawn. Foxpaw blinked and yawned, making Thornpaw stir beside her.

"Huh? Wha…?" He yawned, too. "Wha's goin' on?" he mewed, still half-asleep.

Whiskerpaw's eyes came open, and she gasped. "Our training!" She shot up and shook her pelt. "Our training starts today!" she turned to Wolfpaw, who was still curled up, asleep. She trotted over, turned away, and started kicking leaves at him with her hind paws. "C'mon, you lazy furball! Get up! Our training starts today!" she repeated.

"Fivemoreminutes." he grumbled quickly, and moved himself to where his back was facing his sister.

Whiskerpaw blew, exasperated. "How are you _not excited_?" she meowed. "You're _finally_ an _apprentice_!"

"Give up, Whiskerpaw." Thornpaw said, arching his back in a big stretch. Foxpaw started towards the exit. "He'll get up on his own time." He started following Foxpaw.

Whiskerpaw rolled her eyes and bolted out.

The three apprentices searched for their mentors in the camp clearing. "Where are they?" Whiskerpaw asked, mostly to herself, but she didn't go unheard.

"I dunno." Thornpaw replied to his sister.

Foxpaw already knew where her mentor was. "I'm going to the nursery." she stated before padding as slowly as she could to the bramble bush.

The she-cat poked her head inside the nursery, and searched. Her eyes narrowed to adjust to the dark. Her suspicions were confirmed. Darktail was curled up around his mate, sleeping soundly.

"Darktail!" Foxpaw hissed under her breath. "Darktail, it's dawn! Time to get up!

What Foxpaw didn't know was that he was awake. "I know." he growled softly. He gingerly got up, licked Lillyfur's head, and pushed Foxpaw's head out of his way. "You must learn patience. Without that, you'll be a poor hunter and fighter." He crawled his way out of the bramble and lumbered to the camp clearing.

Foxpaw just rolled her eyes once out of his point of view.

Darktail and Foxpaw padded over to the camp entrance, meeting up with Lionflight, Spottedfawn, Badgerfang, Whiskerpaw and Thornpaw.

"Where's Wolfpaw?" Badgerfang asked, his yellow eyes flashing.

"We tried to get him to wake up, but he said 'Five more min-'"

"Quit lying, outsider." Wolfpaw sneered as he casually padded past her, head held high.

Foxpaw growled. "That _it_!" She came up from behind, and using her front paws, claws unsheathed, grabbed his sides and threw him down. She pinned him before he could move. "You need to drop that attitude! I'm sick of it, and so is everyone else! I don't know why you're so hateful towards me when _I have done nothing to you_!" she snarled, glaring at him venomously.

It wasn't long before she felt teeth at her scruff and pulling her back. She drew her claws out of Wolfpaw's pelt so she wouldn't drag him with her. "Calm down, Foxpaw." Thornpaw meowed, his words muffled in Foxpaw's fur.

"Stop starting fights for no reason, Foxpaw!" Darktail growled. "If you do that during a patrol, or anything, for that matter, do you know the chaos that could cre-"

"She's telling the truth!" Whiskerpaw spoke up, giving the senior warrior her own stern glare. She walked out from behind Foxpaw to stand between her and Darktail. "_I_ was the one who tried to wake him up!"

Badgerfang's voice sounded from behind Wolfpaw. "Is that true?" he said sternly.

Wolfpaw's eyes widened as he whipped around to face him. "I did-but she-I was-!" he sighed, lowering his head in defeat. "Yes… it's true."

Thornpaw and his sister stayed near Foxpaw as she shook herself to calm down. She still glared at Wolfpaw, even though his back was facing her.

"Well then, as an apology, you will take Foxpaw's duty of clearing out the elders' nests." Wolfpaw stayed silent. "You three can just hunt for both the queens and the elders today."

"Queen_s_?" Lionflight drew out the 's'. "Tawnystripe's moving back into the warrior's den today, Badgerfang."

"Oh, well… queen." the deputy corrected himself. "Well, let's head out. We're touring around the ThunderClan borders today so you can scent the other clans. And I want to do this _without_ anymore interruptions." he said sternly, looking at Foxpaw and Wolfpaw.

The group of cats kept silent until they reached their first destination. "This is the Great Sycamore." Spottedfawn said, gazing up the huge tree. "It's one of the largest trees in ThunderClan territory."

"Dang… I'd like to see somebody climb _that_!" Thornpaw gasped.

"Just past here is Snakerocks; a place you must be careful at." Lionflight finished.

"Why?" Whiskerpaw asked.

"Adders, hence the name. They'll take a snap at you as soon as they get a chance, and trust me, you do _not_ want an adder bite." the golden tabby shivered.

"Are we going there today?" Thornpaw questioned eagerly, tail twitching.

"We'll pass by it, but we aren't actually _going_ there. I know it's still technically leafbare, but I don't want to risk it." Badgerfang said.

Keeping to his word, the group of cats did pass by Snakerocks. Thornpaw tried to get closer, but after a scolding mew from Lionflight, he shrunk back.

The group then arrived at the thunderpath that acted as a border from ShadowClan.

"The territory you see ahead belongs to ShadowClan. You won't catch scent of them today because we're upwind, but you will know it when you smell it." Darktail said. The cats hid in some bushes that were along the thunderpath. Foxpaw stayed a good sized length away from them.

"What's wrong?" Darktail asked sternly.

"I… uh… I'm-"

"This is where she was… found, Darktail. I'm sure it makes her uncomfortable to be near this area." Badgerfang spoke up. Darktail knew what he meant, as every cat in the clan had heard Foxpaw's story about Badgerfang's border patrol saving her.

Foxpaw watched Darktail's reaction. Surprisingly, his expression softened _very_ slightly before speaking again. "You must learn to conquer your fears, Foxpaw. You might have to chase those flea-bitten cats back to their own territory someday, which means you'll have to cross this thunderpath."

Foxpaw nodded as she slowly crept forward and into the bushes that the rest of the cats were in. It wasn't long before a monster roared past, but Foxpaw held her ground, only wincing slightly at the nose-stinging stench.

"Good." Darktail said softly.

"Bleck, can we go now? I can't feel my nose." Whiskerpaw complained.

The cats then continued their patrol until they reached Fourtrees.

"This, young ones, is where the Gatherings are held beneath a full moon. At that time, large groups come from each of the clans to meet here under a truce. That's when the four leaders discuss the latest news about their clans." Spottedfawn informed.

"When's the next Gathering?" Wolfpaw asked for the first time from the back of the group.

"Not for… a few dawns. It'll be a half moon tonight, if I'm correct." the she-cat replied.

"Do we get to go?" Thornpaw asked eagerly.

"Hmm… maybe the next Gathering. Usually, only warriors go. Not all apprentices get to attends until they've trained for some time." Darktail replied. The three other warriors nodded their agreement.

Thornpaw sighed.

"WindClan's territory is near here. We should be able to catch scent of them." Lionflight said. He began to quickly lead the patrol around the four great oaks.

The warriors told the four apprentices to scent the air once they had arrived. Foxpaw's jaws parted as she searched for a scent. She nearly choked once she got it.

"Yes, that would be them." Lionflight purred. "Can you smell anything else?"

"I can smell… mouse!" Whiskerpaw hissed the last word.

"Let it be; we're only looking around today." Darktail meowed.

Suddenly, a loud rustling was heard a little bit away from them. The warriors' heads whipped to the direction of the sound as the four apprentices looked at each other with fear in their eyes.

"You stay right here." Badgerfang commanded, stomping his paw in the dirt with the last two words. "We'll be back." The warriors disappeared into the undergrowth.

"What do you think it is?" Whiskerpaw whispered.

"Probably WindClan." Wolfpaw hissed under his breath. "I heard a late patrol last night say that they had scented them in our territory."

"Well, come on, then! We're apprentices, right?" The other three nodded. "Well, if there's a fight, we could learn from it!" Without waiting for his companions, he took off, following the warriors' scents. The other three filed in closely behind him.

Once the warriors came into sight, they were talking with a silver tabby tom with green eyes, a pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes, and a grey ticked tom with abnormally long fangs. The four apprentices stayed back so the group of cats couldn't scent them.

"Razorfang, what are you doing in our territory with two other warriors? Surely you're not just passing through; I see no reason for you to be." Badgerfang insisted coldly.

The large, grey tom just looked at the smoky grey tabby.

"You were hunting; there's blood on your lips!" Spottedfawn growled. "So where's the prey you stole? Or did you already eat it?"

Again, no reply.

Lionflight scoffed. "I never suspected WindClan's warriors to be so low as to eat before the rest of their clan is fed." He then glared at Razorfang. "Nor did I expect to see this kind of treason from a clan deputy. Snowstar will hear of this." he growled.

In the second that Lionflight had finished his threat, the silver tabby launched at golden tom from behind WindClan's deputy, claws unsheathed. Lionflight was prepared, however; he dodged the tom's attack by jumping to the side. The tom landed on the ground, and quickly began to circle the ThunderClan warrior, teeth bared. His posture was echoed in Lionflight. Then the other pale brown tabby pounced onto Lionflight's back, yowling. Lionflight reared up and fell hard on his back where the WindClan warrior clung to him. His massive size crushed the tabby and he caterwauled with anger as he thrashed under him. As soon as his claws released Lionflight, the large tom jumped up and faced his other opponent. As the silver tom leapt at him again, Badgerfang rammed the lithe warrior in the side with his head, knocking him to the ground.

Spottedfawn jumped over her fellow warriors and charged at the brown tabby. She tackled him, and soon she was pinned. The calico she-cat screeched as she raked her back claws into the tom's soft underbelly, drawing blood. He then yowled and released the she-cat. He ran stiffly toward his own territory.

Darktail crept around Badgerfang and Lionflight, who were still snarling at the silver tom. He pounced onto the deputy's back and sank his teeth into his shoulder. The deputy snarled and took Darktail by his scruff, and threw him onto the ground, forcing him to release the grey tom. Razorfang then jammed his paw into Darktail's throat, choking him. He smiled wickedly and he leaned down to whisper in the black warrior's ear. "Soon enough, this will be WindClan's territory."

Suddenly, an orange blur shot out from the undergrowth and onto the deputy's back. Foxpaw dug her claws into his pelt and clamped her teeth as hard as she could into the warrior's shoulder. The deputy yowled in pain and flung her off of him. She skidded in the dirt until she bumped into Badgerfang's front legs. She snarled as she picked herself back up.

Badgerfang's gaze ran from Razorfang's bloody shoulder to Foxpaw, his mouth gaping. He then placed a protective paw in front of the young she-cat as he spoke. "You are out numbered two to four, Razorfang. I would leave ThunderClan's territory if I were you." he meowed, his eyes narrowed.

The WindClan growled to himself as he started to limp away. "Hawkhallow, come." The silver tabby rose from his crouch as he stalked away.

Darktail got up and shook himself. "Filthy pests. They're almost as bad as the rats from Carrionplace."

"We need to go back to camp and report this to Snowstar right away. They could be planning an invasion right now." Badgerfang said urgently. He then gazed down at Foxpaw. "Tell the others the run back to camp. Fast. I know you didn't come here alone."

Foxpaw nodded and watched as the four warriors ran back to camp. Her friends came out of the undergrowth and padded up behind her.

"That was _awesome_!" Thornpaw said. "But I though you didn't like Darktail."

"I didn't say that." Foxpaw insisted, facing him. "We need to get back to camp. Now."

"Why? What's going on?" Whiskerpaw asked, worried.

"Did you not hear? We could have a raiding party on its way right now! If we get caught in the middle, we won't stand a chance!" Foxpaw replied urgently.

"Well, you might. After all, you sent a WindClan deputy back to his camp with his tail between his legs." Thornpaw purred.

"Ugh, guys, come on! I'm serious! Just because I attacked on impulse doesn't mean I'm any more than an apprentice!" She said as she started to trot away. Then it hit her. "Where's Wolfpaw?"

"He heard what the other warriors said and took off after them." Whiskerpaw replied.

"And you two didn't follow him?" Foxpaw asked, disbelief plastered on her face

"Hey, we wanted to make sure you were okay!" Thornpaw defended himself.

Foxpaw shook her head. "I'm sorry for being rude, but we really need to get back to camp."

And with that, the three young cats sprinted to their home as fast as they could without looking back.


End file.
